The bodies of hostage Yair Yaakov and another hostage "whose name has not yet been approved for publication" were returned from the Khan Yunis area in southern Gaza in a joint operation by the Israeli military and the security service Shin Bet, according to a statement.
59-year-old Yair Yaakov was kidnapped from a kibbutz during the Islamist movement Hamas' terror attack on October 7, 2023, and was killed the same day. According to the statement, he was taken away and killed by the extremist group Islamic Jihad.
"We will not rest and we will not be silent until all our hostages – both the living and the fallen – have been brought home", says Netanyahu.
Prior to the latest announcement, 54 of the 251 people taken hostage on October 7 were still being held in Gaza, including 32 who, according to the Israeli military, are dead.
